this is what good, smart, progressive, morally upright politics is all about. and that's "hardball" for now. thanks for being with us. "politics nation" with al sharpton starts right now. >> thanks, chris. and thanks to you for tuning in. i'm live tonight in sacramento, california. tonight's lead, america versus the nra. today, president obama took his fight for gun safety outside of washington. calling for action. debunking the nra lies and making sure everyone knows we can't wait for change. >> we don't have to agree on everything to agree it's time to do something. if we've got lobbyists in washington, claiming to speak for gun owners, saying something different, we need to go to the source and reach out to people. directly. >> there's no legislation to eliminate all guns.

there's no legislation being proposed to subvert the second amendmented. there won't be perfect solutions. we're not going to save every life. but we can make a difference. and that's our responsibility as americans. >> that's the reality of this gun debate. but the nra is pushing a fantasy. the head of the nra was pedaling misstatements on fox when he got called out for it, including his tv ad criticizing security for the president's daughters. >> mr. lapierre, do you regret putting up that ad? >> the point of that ad is this. it wasn't picking on the president's kids -- >> it mentions them. >> the president's kids are safe and we're all thankful for it. >> they also face a threat that most people do not face. >> tell that to the people in newtown. >> do you really think the president's children are the same kind of target as every

school child in america? that's ridiculous, and you know it, sir. >> we learned this weekend the nra created a kind of enemy's list. all the people they think are out to get them. so who's on the list? the nra is scared of mcgyver, richard dean anderson, the na y nanny, fran dresher and the fonz, yep, the fonz is going to gut the second amendment. there are lots of singers on the nra's enemy list including brittany spears and the entire line up of boysiimen. the nra has this weird obsession with actors from batman movies including jack nicholson, danny devito and michelle pfeiffer. and finally, leonard nemoy are

all on the enemy's list. yes, spak wants to take away your guns. americans want a serious conversation about gun safety, but the nra is just a joke. joining me now is clarence page. with an enemy's list like that, does the nra have any friends left? >> you would think they wouldn't. they have really gotten into a habit of making themselves, you know, casting themselves, casting the gun-opening communality as an all-pressed minority. they constantly pushed the group as being put upon, people don't understand them. once you start down that track, then anybody who criticizes you becomes part of the enemy. that's why you wind up with batman and who else on that list.

it's a sign of desperation right now that they see they're on the defensive, defensive, especially after sandyhook and how much we've overreached in the past and the public now is making a pushback. >> but it also, michelle, shows you that people have to, even if they were inclined to listen to them, have to wonder when you take people, danny devito, jack nicholson, their enemies. and then at what level do you say wait a minute, does anybody that even slightly disagree with you become a threat to the second amendment? maybe this is not about the second amendment. when you look at the nra list, the american medical association, national association of police organizations. league of women voters, ywca, united methodist church, these

are not enemies of the second amendment. we all don't have to agree with you to not be an enemy. >> i think clarence is exactly right in terms of it's very important for them to stoke this feeling of victim hood and besiegement and paranoia among the membership. and, you know, maybe we can through the smurfs on the list and argue what kind of threat brittany spears poses to america. this is kind of casting this wide, absurd net that has no bearing upon kind of a serious conversation of what needs to be done here. >> now, clarence, the president is pushing a big agenda. and he's dealing with it from newtown to chicago. look at what happened in the super bowl ads. he's really pushing a huge effort here to try and deal with gun reform. >> that's true. and i think -- >> the nra once supported background checks.

>> we think it's reasonable to provide mandatory, instant criminal background checks for every sale at every gun show. >> america can do this for us. please. >> now, that ad ran in the super bowl was the mayor's against guns with mayor bloomberg out of new york. but the stage, the climate has been set by the president. and i'm sure it will continue throughout the state of the union address. so he's dealing with mayors and law enforcement all the way to mothers groups and congressional leadership. a real big picture fight on this, clarence. >> that's true. and what's really important here about that ad is that it shows that for a change, the gun control side, the gun safety side, has got some money to put ads on the air, mayor bloomberg has personally financed that campaign.

you've got gabby giffords and other folks now. it's important to point out that the nra's membership as gun owners, but their money comes mostly from the gun industry. they've got a lot of money at stake here. and that has been a real advantage for them in the past. but president obama is spending real political capital on this. his second term is just beginning and he has spent more time, more public time on this issue than anything else. that's important. >> now, they're being rocked, michelle. we've not seen the nra rocked and wobbling on their heels like they're being treated now. look at what happened with nra ceo wane lapierre on fox news on sunday. he was actually getting calledy. watch this. >> one of the points of that ad

that i want to ask you about is you made it a class argument, the rich, the elite. they have bodyguards. they have security. >> sure. >> and mayor bloomberg has it. i'll tell you somebody else who has security. you do. >> sometimes, yeah. >> on capitol hill, you had security. today you have security. does that make you an out-of-touch elite because you have security? >> i don't deny anybody the right to security when they need it. >> my children went to the same school that the obama children went to many years ago. >> a third of the schools in the country already have armed security. >> i understand that. but this idea of an elite class is just nonsense. >> nonsense. nonsense is what he said. doesn't that really add up to all of what the nra is selling here? you hit people as elitists if they have armed guards, but you have it sometime. this is any kind of rhetoric they could muster to play under

fears of people that have nothing to do with the responsib responsibleties of a nation to make sure that a newtown or a chicago or where ever it is stops happening in our american lives. >> there does seem to be a whisp of desperation. >> quite right. >> go ahead, michelle. >> this goes back to the '60s where you find that on the right, they've been coming back at the loeflt wieft with the el trough, if you will. it's a term that doesn apply to many, with me, is what it comes down to. >> now, michelle, you know one of the other things i saw a super bowl ad favoring gun safety in the washington d. market. and it was joining the flip-flopping of the nra. watch this. >> i'll do the graphics.

they were showing support for universal background checks, 92% americans, 74% nra members. so it really shows how the nra's own members offer background checks. >> yeah, i think it's important to keep in mind here that the nra leadership isn't even speaking for its members in a lot of these circumstances. you know? i know plenty of people who belong to the nra and they don't agree with what's being said in their name. i think the very special wayne lapierre has overreached and now it's contradicting what he said over the years. there's a great deal of pan iblg. the press conference that he did back in december, this is the first time they've been forced out to do something like that. now you see them just throwing everything at the wall to see what's going to stick and try to get their members fired up as possible.

but they're having a hard time here. and it does not not seem like they've kind of figured out a good strategy yet. >> all right. i'm going to have to leave it there. clarence page and michelle cottle, thanks for your time tonight. >> thank you, reverend. >> ahead, the obama playbook and why it's driving conservatives crazy. carl rove versus the tea party. it's getting ugly. democrats may sell popcorn for this one. and we have a new delusional conspiracy theory. here comes the skeeters. you can't make this stuff up. well, actually, they can. big show ahead. come on back. i was in the ambulance

and i was told to call my next of kin. at 33 years old, i was having a heart attack. now i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. i didn't know this could happen so young. take control, talk to your doctor. [ bop ] [ bop ] it's getting ugly. [ bop ] you can do that all you want, i don't like v8 juice. [ male announcer ] how about v8 v-fusion. a full serving of vegetables, a full serving of fruit. but what you taste is the fruit. so even you... could've had a v8. all your important legal matters in just minutes. protect your family... and launch your dreams. at legalzoom.com we put the law on your side. we don't let frequent heartburn come between us and what we love. so if you're one of them people who gets heartburn and then treats day after day... block the acid with prilosec otc

and don't get heartburn in the first place! [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn.

have you joined the "politics nation" conversation on facebook yet? we hope you will. today, everyone was sharing and talking about the new commemorative rosa parks stamp released on what would have been her 100th birthday. irmgard says i can't wait to buy some. she led the way for freedom. kathy says it's about time. and on a forever stamp. that sends a real message. remember forever. laura says we should all aspire to have her courage and vision. i have something to say about rosa parks' legacy and what she meant to the civil rights movement coming up later in this show. but we want to hear what you think, too. please head over to facebook and

search "politics nation" and like us to join the conversation that keeps going long after the show ends. axiron, the only underarm treatment for low t, can restore testosterone levels back to normal in most men. axiron is not for use in women or anyone younger than 18. axiron can transfer to others through direct contact. women, especially those who are or who may become pregnant, and children should avoid contact where axiron is applied as unexpected signs of puberty in children or changes in body hair or increased acne in women may occur. report these signs and symptoms to your doctor if they occur. tell your doctor about all medical conditions and medications. do not use if you have prostate or breast cancer. serious side effects could include increased risk of prostate cancer; worsening prostate symptoms; decreased sperm count; ankle, feet, or body swelling; enlarged or painful breasts; problems breathing while sleeping; and blood clots in the legs. common side effects include skin redness or irritation where applied, increased red blood cell count, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and increase in psa.

see your doctor, and for a 30-day free trial, go to axiron.com. president obama has made it clear. he's got an agenda and nothing is going to stand in his way. >> i will not negotiate around the debt ceiling. they will not collect a ransom in exchange for not crashing the american economy. ordinary folks, they do their jobs. the notion that our elected leadership can't do the same thing is mind boggling to him. it needs to stop.

>> this is not a complicated concept. >> he's standing strong. and that's making it even harder for an already divided gop to regroup. take exhibit a. earlier today, tagg romney's name was floated as a possible gop senate candidate in massachusetts. he's since bowed out. guess he saw what happened to the last romney. . and then there's this. gop donors are turning to karl rove to help weed out far right candidates in upcoming races. really? isn't he the guy who blew $300 million in the last election? whose super pac had a 1% success rate? yeah, that guy. and, boy is the tea party upset. freedom works slammed rove's group saying the empire is striking back.

calling him orwellian. it's full-on gop warfare. it's gop civil war. joining me now is michael steele and dana millbank. thank you both for coming on the show tonight. >> good to see you, rev. >> michael, karl rove to save the party from the tea party, do you buy it? >> no, i don't. and i don't think many of the not just tea parties, but grass roots conservatives will. instead of taking those dollars out of the states and hunkering them down here in a newly created super pac in washington, how about investing in the state party organizations around the country to help them build the farm team that is going to be required to win in the future. this is not an overnight success deal, reverend. you cannot come from the s

shellacking of '06 and '12 and throw dollars at it. until they realize that, this is a waste of time and a waste of cash. focus on state party ground game organization. focus on building good candidates from the bottom up. running for local offices so the voters get to know who they are, the party gets to vet them in the process. you don't do this one-off craziness where you can just create another outside organi organization and go from there. if this group is picking and choosing our conservative candidates, would they have picked dick luger? you're setting this up with battles that are highly unnecessary and not going to be helpful. >> but, really, dana, isn't this more than just about the internal balls in the republican

party? isn't it barack obama has put together a real way of mobilizing a new america, given the demographics of today and has gone forward and laid out an agenda and they don't know what to do with it? they're stumbling all over themselves because they don't know what to doo. >> well, it's a little bit of both of those things, reverend. there is sort of a circular firing squad right now. i think to one extent, michael steele is right. if he couldn't save the republican party, i don't think anybody can. i think karl rove has correctly diagnosed a problem in that is that in these primaries, they're running all of these far right candidates are winning and that's causing them to lose elections. they'd be in charge of the senate if they didn't have all of these far right candidates who ultimately wound up losing in the general election. but then you do get into this civil war thing where you may just get a lot of people spending a lot of money and winding up with the same result that we have right now.

in the larger picture, yes. the problem is not so much is candidates, but the demographic problems that are up against the party in the long run. so this may be a short term fix if they can make it work. but that's going to be very hard. >> but you also have some people that are just way out there, michael. i mean, you led the party, the gop, under your leadership that gained 63 seats. and then you had to deal with people that appeared to be out of it. i'm being kind. i mean, you had to deal with people -- let me show you one. how do you deal with people that say things like this? >> i'm not a witch. i'm nothing you've heard. i'm you. none of us are perfect, but none of us can be happy with what we see all around us. >> now have, i mean, give me a leadership lesson, michael. how do you deal with a woman that starts an ad with sayin

sayingsisaying i'm not a witch. >> you make the point. it's tougher to deal with that situation after the fact. and certainly, during my tenure, when we had those earlier primaries and these decisions were made, whether it was with mike hassle in delaware or bob bennett out in utah, what i did was i sat down with tea party activists from around the country. i either went to where they were or called them from washington. we made it very clear. we said let's not eat our own. let's find the best conservative candidates that we can run. that's someone who's inside the party already. get behind them and back them. if you've got a new talent, let's vet that process and get behind that candidate. so there is a way to do this. you cannot do it after the fact because then you're reacting. you're reacting to comments i'm not a witch, as opposed to getting in front. and i appreciate that part of what rove and others are trying to do, but my question is how do you do this separate and apart from the activists, the ground folk who are out there who already worked with these

candidates, potential candidates. if you're not at that table, then you're not in the game here. and today th day that's point, not going to have a long lasting, evif even a short term impact. >> what does it do to the president's agenda? how does it impact where he's trying to go in terms of immigration and gun legislation and how he's got to deal with sequestering. i mean, dealing with the fact that the overwhelming majority of americans polled supports the president's agenda, clearly he won by a wide margin, wider than president bush's reelection. what happens in the middle of this civil war to the president's agenda where most americans are? >> well, on the one hand, reverend, it's a distraction which can be good for the president because if the facts within the republican party are fighting each other, they're not fight i

fighting the president. but the dominant thing going on in the party right now is that what republicans particularly in the house are most worried about is not opposing obama enough. and they feel that they'll be in a primary challenge if they're seen as doing that. that's going to make them resist the president at every turn. so in this sense, karl rove could be assisting the president here in trying to bring these people in a more sensible direction. you know, i wish him great good luck with that, but it's a tall order. >> well, we'll see. because it's the agenda that i'm concerned about. you know, i'd get popcorn to watch the gop civil war. i just want to make sure that we can all afford the butter. michael steele and dana millbank, thanks for your time this evening. >> ahead, president obama summons wall street big wigs to the white house tomorrow. there are things they'll support in his agenda, it appears. and move over, birthers, here

comes the skeeters. more delusional conspiracies from the right. come on back. so you say men are superior drivers?

yeah. then how'd i get this... [ voice of dennis ] ...safe driving bonus check? every six months without an accident, allstate sends a check. ok. [ voice of dennis ] silence. are you in good hands? [ angry gibberish ] [ justin ] mulligan sir. mulligan. take a mulligan. i took something for my sinuses, but i still have this cough. [ male announcer ] truth is, a lot of sinus products don't treat cough. they don't? [ male announcer ] nope, but alka seltzer plus severe sinus does it treats your worst sinus symptoms, plus that annoying cough. [ angry gibberish ] [ fake coughs ] sorry that was my fault sir. [ male announcer ] alka seltzer plus severe sinus. [ breathes deeply ] ♪ oh, what a relief it is! [ male announcer ] try alka seltzer plus severe sinus day and night for complete relief from your worst sinus symptoms. full of beautiful highlights and lowlights. that's why nice'n easy builds dimension into every shade. so here's a challenge: love the gorgeous dimension of nice'n easy or we'll pay for a salon color. take the salon challenge, from nice'n easy.

to compete on the global stage. what we need are people prepared for the careers of our new economy. by 2025 we could have 20 million jobs without enough college graduates to fill them. that's why at devry university, we're teaming up with companies like cisco to help make sure everyone is ready with the know-how we need for a new tomorrow. [ male announcer ] make sure america's ready. make sure you're ready. at devry.edu/knowhow. ♪

stop the presses. the right wing says there's a new model threat in town. ready for this one? newspapers. this paper maine's water bill morning sental started it all. paul le page says my greatest fear in the state of maine, newspapers, i'm not a fan of newspapers. nothing scarier than your local paper. means the governor is scared and so is texas arch conservative senator ted cruz. >> the first thing i would urge to the house of representatives is stop reading "the new york times." cancel your subscription. >> forget about changing their

policies. republicans can just stop reading the paper. there's some scary stuff in there. republicans ignore anything that contradicts them. that's why the right was convinced mitt romney would win. even when the polls showed otherwise. but i've got some bad news. republicans can't pretend bad headlines don't exist and they can't go straight to the funny pages, either. >> what newspapers and magazines did you regularly read before you were tapped for this to stay informed? >> i've read most of them, again, with a great appreciation for the press, for the media. >> specifically, i'm curious. >> all of them. any of them that have been in front of me over all of these years. >> republicans don't have to read all of the papers.

but they can't just get the ones that talk about their failures. do they think we let them get away with this one? here's a headline for the right wing. nice try: but we gotchya. >> all stations come over to mission a for a final go. this is for real this time. step seven point two one two. verify and lock. command is locked. five seconds. three, two, one.

standing by for capture. the most innovative software on the planet... dragon is captured. is connecting today's leading companies to places beyond it. siemens. answers. otherworldly things. but there are some things i've never seen before. this ge jet engine can understand 5,000 data samples per second. which is good for business. because planes use less fuel, spend less time on the ground and more time in the air.

suddenly, faraway places don't seem so...far away. ♪ campbell's has 24 new soups that will make it drop over, and over again. ♪ from jammin' jerk chicken, to creamy gouda bisque. see what's new from campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. you know how painful heartburn can be.

for fast, long lasting relief, use doctor recommended gaviscon®. only gaviscon® forms a protective barrier that helps block stomach acid from splashing up- relieving the pain quickly. try fast, long lasting gaviscon®. . he ran on it, he fought for it, now we're seeing the president uses bully pulpit to celebrate fairness. so there's no bigger stage than a super bowl. before kickoff, the president made it clear, his focus is on equal rights for all. for women in combat. >> the truth is is that women are serving. they are taking great risks what we should not do is somehow reprechbt them from advancing in a institution that we all revere. >> and for gay rights. >> gays and lesbians should have

access and opportunity the same way everybody else does. in every institution and walk of life. >> and then he went back to the driving theme of his campaign. economic fairness. on the issue of revenue, he isn't done raising taxes on the wealthy. >> when you look at some of these deductions that certain folks are able to take advantage of, the average person can't take advantage of them. the average person doesn't have access to cay men island accounts, the average person doesn't have access to carried interest income. we just want to make sure that the whole system is fair. that it's transparent. that we're reducing our deficit in a way that doesn't hamper growth, reduce the kinds of strategies that we need in order to make sure that we're creating good jobs and a strong middle class. >> strong middle class. make sure the system is fair. it's game on for this president.

joining me now is political strategist angela rye. thank you both for being with us. >> thank you, reverend al. >> jarret, let me go to you first. tax fairness is a big part of what the president wants to get done. take a look at this. there are many middle class households that are actually paying a higher tax rate than households that make over a million dollars a year because they don't get most of their money from investments. will the president's policies change this problem? >> they will and they already are, to some extent. but there's more to be done there, just like the president just said. in the deal that ended the fiscal cliff, the tax rate at least for folks at the very top of the income scale, above $450,000, on capital gains and dividends, capital gains is what you get when you sell an appreciated stock. its value goes up.

those are called capital gains. 20% is already below the tax rate that folks at the top of the scale pay on their earnings. so the president is saying there's a lot more room there to close out some of those loopholes and deductions. you mentioned carried interest. that's a deal where the manager of a drugstore gets taxed at the ralt of his earnings. a manager of a hedge fund gets those special privileged tax rates on the capital gains or the dividends. >> now, angela, i know you're a political strategist, but you worked on the hill with some of the congress people that represented some of the more working class districts in the country. and this is not about class warfare. when you look at the fact that the bottom 20% of americans only get 3% of all tax breaks, the top 20% get 66% of all tax breaks. we're talking about inequality here. we're not talking about class

warfare, us against them. we're talking about fairness, angela? >> i think that's exactly right. you have a president who's now demonstrating an on going commitment to not only economic fairness, but making sure that the playing field is level across the board. we have a lot of work to do in this country with policymaking to both private sector and public protection sector of jobs. >> reverend, let me make a comment about that. and it's a football analogy. so it's in season. look, we've already got enough inequality coming out of the basic economy just from the market outcomes. but then when the tax system comes in and exacerbates those ine qualities, makes them worse, it sounds like unnecessary roughness. it's taking a situation that's already too unequal by historical turns and it's doubling down on it. >> but angela, when you go back to the congress, where you worked for some times, i can't say years, you're not that old, but you worked for some time.

and you look at the fact that congress is talking deficit, sequester, the lead editorial in the new york times, and republicans, forgive me for reading the "new york times" it says today "congress should be thinking about ways to accelerate the economy instead of remaining preoccupied with a short term deficit. job losses could be sharply reduced if half or more of the spending cuts were replaced by revenue increases, as president obama and congressional democrats have demanded". so what we're looking at is they're talking about cutting, which would really eliminate more accelerating the economy, angela? >> right. i think we need to drill down a little bit. sequestration is the process by which automatic spending cuts take place. and a lot of folks are hearing this big word being thrown around and don't understand that that means immediate impact to their everyday lives.

if sequestration were to happen, we're talking act necessary employees being furloughed from the federal government. people like the border patrol and folks like air safety and air safety workers. the other thing that we need to look at are the types of education programs that would be cut. special ed and head start. they are programs that we cannot afford to see gone or cut in any way, shape or form. >> jared, tomorrow the president announced he's meeting with some ceos from wall street, goldman sachs group, yahoo's marissa and others. what can he achieve by meeting with them? what can we hope to get them to help to do to deal with this situation? >> i think explaining the kinds of observations we were just talking about, this set of automatic spending cuts is supposed to kick in in march. we've already got an economy

that's growing too slow to support the job growth that working people need. take another $85 billion out of that economy this year in 2013, one year alone, and you're going to shift an economy that's already, you know, struggling in second gear down to something lower than that. and that simply won't help. i also think it would be useful to talk about, sure, the president has always been on board of cutting out -- getting inefficiencies out of the system, out of the health care system. there are spending cuts to be had there. but it's got to be balanced. and it's got to be balanced with new revenues. and the revenues, as the president said, they don't have to come from higher tax rates. we've already been there. but they ought to come from closing some of these loopholes, these expenditures, that unfairly favor those at the very top of the scale, the folks who are already doing the best anyway. >> angela rye and jared bernstein, thanks for your time tonight. >> thank you, reverend al. >> ahead, honoring rosa parks on

her 100th birthday. she refused to stand up and allow this nation to move forward. but, first, obama critics unhinged. it's the new birthers and it's all about this photo. stay with us. [ female announcer ] caltrate's done even more to move us. because vitamin d3 helps bones absorb calcium, caltrate's double the d. it now has more than any other brand to help maximize calcium absorption.

so caltrate women can move the world.

we don't let frequent heartburn come between us and what we love. so if you're one of them people who gets heartburn and then treats day after day... block the acid with prilosec otc and don't get heartburn in the first place! [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. right wingers can't believe their eyes. lilt rally. maybe they need some politics nation glasses. that's next. pering ] i've always preferred the crème part of an oreo. [ whispering ] that's crazy, the cookie's the best part. crème. cookie. crème. cookie. [ whispering ] crème. [ whispering ] cookie. [ whispering ] crème. [ whispering ] cookie. [ whispering ] crème. [ whispering ] cookie. crème! [ fire alarm ringing ] [ whispering ] fire! crème. cookie. crème. cookie. [ whispering ] i'm calling the cops. [ police siren wails, car horn blares ] crème. cookie. [ whispering ] you guys have to stop fighting. we're the cops.

[ male announcer ] choose your side on instagram @oreo. but that doesn't mean i don't want to make money.stor. i love making money. i try to be smart with my investments. i also try to keep my costs down. what's your plan? ishares. low cost and tax efficient. find out why nine out of ten large professional investors choose ishares for their etfs. ishares by blackrock. call 1-800-ishares for a prospectus which includes investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. read and consider it carefully before investing. risk includes possible loss of principal.

move over, birthers. we had new conspiracy theory crazies on the block. they're known now as the skeeters. it's all coming from this photo showing president obama skeet shooting in august. the white house released it after the president said he did it at camp david. so why would the president of

the united states have to prove it? hmmmmm. i wonder why? >> his response "yes, in fact, up at camp david, we do skeet shooting all the time." >> really? all the time? >> if he is a skeet shooter, why have we not heard of this? >> has anyone ever heard president obama owns a gun? has a gun? has shot a gun? likes to shoot? >> no, well, where's a picture? they release a photograph of president obama doing everything except for flossing. >> how did we not hear of this? where are the pictures? but, now, the skeeters are in overdrive. new york magazine created a guide to the conservative conspiracy theories out there. the angle of the gun is all wrong. it's not skeet shooting. it's not high. it's not low. the smoke pattern looks funny. what the heck is that second smoke stream? and look at the president's

stance? it's all wrong. what a crazy body position. it must be a fake. and where is the hat to shield his eyes, never mind those sunglasses. all skeet shooters wear hats. but this last one takes the cake. one conservative blogger says "the arms don't look right." and i don't recall obama having a pot belly." way to go there, sherlock holmes. this is actually happening right now in meshlg. you can't make this stuff up. you can't imagine this stuff. kpept they do. they make it up. and it's an embarrassment to their party. joining me now is joe madison and victoria g.francesco-soto. joe, what do you make of this? >> because he failed to shoot

his partner, i guess, in the face like the former vice president did. i don't understand it. maybe that's what he had to do. but the reality is that -- and i'll get serious about this, once again, this is, like, joe wilson calling the president a liar. the representative from tennessee. the president lied to the new republ republic, therefore, lied to the american people. and at what point in tiemt are we, as americans, going to stop allowing this president to be insulted in this way? why would the president of the united states lie about something like this? and so this is, once again, i just hope that he is as good of a skeet shooter as he is at shooting holes in all of these theories that have come up. birther, everything else, his

transcripts. if he shoots skeets as good as he shoots holes in the rest of these conspiracies, then he augt to join the olympic team. >> but you know, victoria, it is ludicrous, but it is becoming predictable. and they lose credibility with every new conspiracy. even the former obama advisor david pluf predicted the fake out rage with the tweet over the weekend saying attention tweet birthers, let the photoshop conspiracies begin. >> and conspiracy theories a time honored, american tradition. these are the black helicopter people. these are the people that put foil on their head so that the government doesn't read their minds. so they're nothing new. president jefferson was accused of wanting to ban christianity. but what is new is the frequency of it. many the past 4 1/2 years that

the president has been in office, less than that, we've had over half a dozen conspiracy theories. that is unique to this president. and what i also find unique is that we're moving from the fringe from the top radio shows and from the extreme blog posts to mainstream political institutions. so in early november of last year, we had the georgia state senate convene hearings to hear about agenda 21, which is a conspiracy theory that states that the president wants the turn the united states into a socialist nation via mind control. so, you know, we are seeing two new elements to the whole conspiracy theory element, which is a little frightening. >> no, but they get way out there and i mean, it's just crazy. and, joe, when you look at -- let me give you a high light of another conspiracy from the photo. this one has to do with the his shirt. a conservative blogger and film

maker claims it's not possible for the president to wear tree different shi three different shirts in the same day. outfit number one, the president is wearing a white polo shirt and dark slacks. outfit number two, later that day he's wearing a white button down and khakis. outfit number three, and in the skeet shooting photo, he's wearing a black shirt and jeans. there's no way he could possible lid wear three shirts in one day. they're reduced to belittling the president and distracting the public by discussing his wardrobe. this is crazy. >> i like your wardrobe and i bet you you're going do change clothes before the evening is over out there in california, too. >> but how do you know it's me, joe? are you sure it's me? >> well, i can tell. i can tell by -- maybe it's not you. maybe i saw the photo shop we've got back there. it is ridiculous. give me a break. like the president can't change shirts. he's president of the united

states. he can do whatever the hell he wants to, quite honestly, when it comes to his wardrobe. the second thing, and i do want to make one correction. it's not all talk show hosts that are crazy, radio talk show hosts. some of us like to be sensible when we do our shows, as al knows, and expose this foolishness. but the reality is understand something. this is a diversion. this is a diversion from this issue that they're now debating in congress as it relates to gun control. this is what this is. it's a diversion. it's to just get the low-level thinkers thinking about some wild conspiracy and we cannot be fooled by this. we need to keep the pressure on the nra, keep the pressure on congress. it's not just got to be about, you know, names and checking background check. but we've got to talk about clips, too, and the number of clips. this is what's important.

none of recent mass murders we had were required back ground checks. that wouldn't have stopped any of them. so this is a diversion. and let's not be entertained or fooled by it. >> and isn't that the point, victoria? that's why i want to bring up how ludicrous it is. they're using all of this to get people off into fantasy land, rather than deal with the fundamental things like why do people need magazines that could shoot a hundred rounds? why do we need automatic weapons? why do we need background checks. so they go through all of these photo shopping conspiracies. isn't that really what we're saying? >> it's the shiny ball that distracts us. when we're talking about guns and we're talking about the incidents that recently occurred, we're talking about death. we're talking about human lives being lost. these are very grave issues that can move people politically. so this is why we see something

that's so jokey and has so much levity to it.changing our attention. it's also changing our emotions so that we don't have that hard feeling that comes with thinklithinkling about whapsz when children are being shot. and one quick point about changing ward robe. j.f.k. was infamous for changing his war droeb. if anything, president obama might be on the low end. >> yeah, and ip think they should show these photographs, too. >> i've got to go. >> thank you. >> thanks for your time. thanks for joining us. >> remembering rosa parks. the mother of the nation. next. [ male announcer ] red lobster is hitting the streets

to tell real people about our new 15 under $15 menu! oh my goodness... oh my gosh, this looks amazing... [ male announcer ] 15 entrees under $15! it's our new maine stays! seafood, chicken, and more! ooh! the tilapia with roasted vegetables. i'm actually looking at the wood grilled chicken with portobello wine sauce. that pork chop was great. no more fast food friday's. we're going to go to red lobster... [ male announcer ] come try our new menu and sea food differently. and introducing 7 lunch choices for just $7.99! salad, sandwiches and more. more "likes." more tweets. so, beginning today, my son brock and his whole team will be our new senior social media strategists. any questions? since we make radiator valves wouldn't it be better if we just let fedex help us to expand to new markets? hmm gotta admit that's better than a few "likes."

i don't have the door code. who's that? he won a contest online to be ceo for the day. how am i supposed to run a business here without an office?! [ male announcer ] fast, reliable deliveries worldwide. fedex. [ male announcer ] fast, reliable deliveries worldwide. if your a man with low testosterone, you should know that axiron is here. the only underarm treatment for low t. that's right, the one you apply to the underarm. axiron is not for use in women or anyone younger than 18. axiron can transfer to others through direct contact. women, especially those who are or who may become pregnant, and children should avoid contact where axiron is applied as unexpected signs of puberty in children or changes in body hair or increased acne in women may occur. report these signs and symptoms to your doctor if they occur. tell your doctor about all medical conditions and medications. do not use if you have prostate or breast cancer. serious side effects could include increased risk of prostate cancer; worsening prostate symptoms; decreased sperm count; ankle, feet, or body swelling; enlarged or painful breasts; problems breathing while sleeping; and blood clots in the legs. common side effects include skin redness

or irritation where applied, increased red blood cell count, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and increase in psa. see your doctor, and for a 30-day free trial, go to axiron.com. let's say you pay your guy around 2% to manage your money. that's not much you think. except it's 2% every year. does that make a difference? search "cost of financial advisors" ouch. over time it really adds up. then go to e-trade and find out how much our advice costs. spoiler alert: it's low. really? yes, really. e-trade offers investment advice and guidance from dedicated, professional financial consultants. it's guidance on your terms, not ours. that's how our system works. e-trade. less for us. more for you. in december, 1955, rosa parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man. and it changed this country.

>> i didn't move because i didn't feel like it was helping us and making things lighter for us, me as an individual and us as a people, to continue to be push pushed around because of our race and color. >> she sat down and stood up for equality. i had the honor of speaking at her funeral in 2005 and called her the mother of the nation. >> rosa parks is not in history because she made some movie or sung some song. rosa parks is in hi ri because she made this nation deal with changing the laws and policies of this nation unlike anybody else. >> and, today, on her hundred birthday, i say what i said at her funeral. we all should make a rosa resolution.